SDCFans.com - The Unofficial SDC Fansite

Geyser Gulch Closed, Boarded Off

October 14th, 2011

Update 10/15/11: Our members are reporting that Geyser Gulch is back open as of today. The large wooden wall was actually replaced with a smaller chain yesterday, though the area was still closed. Apparently there may have been a maintenance issue they wanted to take care of during the slower days. Oh well, our previous speculation is still fun to read.
-- End Update --

Forum member OzarkBBQ reports that Geyser Gulch has been closed and boarded off from the rest of the park. Citizens in the area are reported to have said that the park is simply repairing and revitalizing the area, but it is certainly unusual for the park to board off such a large attraction at this point in the season without meaning to do some serious construction. Check out OzarkBBQ's photo of the mysterious wall Here on his Flikr.

No details have emerged yet on how long this closure will be, or whether or not the attraction will be open later in the season, however the nature of the boarded wall seems to indicate that the attraction will be shut for some time. It's worth noting that several portions of the Geyser Gulch complex seemed to be in a rather shabby state earlier this season, with obvious deterioration on the water target stuctures in the lake. The closure could simply mean the park will rehab the aging attraction, or it could mean we will see a major rebuild of the play complex that could incorporate popular concepts from other HFEC theme parks.

Since the opening of Dollywood's Adventure Mountain complex in 2009, speculation on our forums has been persistent that we will someday see a similar attraction at SDC. Silver Dollar City and Dollywood routinely trade popular attraction concepts, and Adventure Mountain has proven to be a concept worthy of trade at DW.

Another possibility for a new Geyser Gulch attraction could be something similar to a new kid's play structure the chain is opening at their Stone Mountain location dubbed Geyser Towers. The structure includes climbing nets similar to what used to be in Huck Finn's Hideaway, but with the added twist of water jets in some areas.

It's also worth noting that Silver Dollar City's addition for this season, Half Dollar Hollar, has proved to be quite successful. The new play complex for kids aged 2-7 offers a net maze and several tree houses - similar again to both the defunct Huck Finn's Hideaway. It seems the only problem the park has had with HDH is that some of the bigger kids tend to want to play there too, making to both crowded and uncomfortable for the smaller kids the area was intended for. Perhaps a larger version is just the thing the park needs to combat that situation.

With the HFEC chain experimenting with so many gargantuan play structure complexes, the possibilities are endless for a revitalization of Geyser Gulch. Keep watching our forums for the latest news and updates as we get them.

Comments

Be the first to leave a comment.

Post a Comment:

Please sign in to leave a comment.